Piano Velouté

• 17 March 22

  Ludovico Einaudi

  I’ve always loved Einaudi’s beautifully haunting and lyrical music. What separates it out from other contemporary piano music is that, while the music itself is simple, it has a depth of feeling and emotion that is quite unparalleled. It is both poetic and rich in musicality. Einaudi was born in Turin, Piedmont, in 1955. His…

• 3 March 22

  Frederick Chopin 01.03.1810

• 7 October 21

  Riversongs (2018)

  I have recently filmed performances of my two favourite pieces from my first collection of piano compositions – “Riversongs” (2018). The first of these is a simple, lyrical melody written for my oldest granddaughter, Aimy. It is a simple expression of loving feelings by a grandfather (or “Papy”, as Aimy calls me) for his beautiful…

• 28 September 21

  Chopin’s Legacy

  In this blog, a short synopsis of Chopin’s piano work is presented along with a brief statement of his enduring influence on contemporary piano composition.

• 29 June 21

  Chopin, Field and the Nocturne

  The term “Nocturne” was first applied to musical pieces in the 18th century. It indicated an ensemble piece in several movements, normally played for an evening party and then laid aside. However, in its more familiar form, as a short piece usually written for solo piano, the nocturne was cultivated primarily in the 19th century.…

• 26 June 21

  First Light

  I wrote this little piece for my late wife, Michèle, who died just before Christmas in 2010. I found that writing a musical diary was so beneficial to my grieving process. I remember at the time feeling Michèle’s loss as if it were a deep wound in my heart. I found that music gently soothed…

• 23 June 21

  Chopin’s Preludes

  Chopin wrote a number of preludes for piano solo. His cycle of 24 Preludes, Opus 28 covers all major and minor keys They are short pieces for the piano, and were originally published in 1839. Whereas the term “prelude” had up to that time been used to describe an introductory piece, Chopin’s preludes are self-contained…

• 20 June 21

  Chopin’s Etude, Opus 10, No.3

  Étude Op. 10, No. 3, in E Major is a study for solo piano composed by Chopin in 1832. It was first published in 1833 in France, Germany, and England. This is a slow cantabile created to assist students with their musical expressiveness and smoothness of playing. For me, it is simply one of the…

• 13 June 21

  Frederick Chopin

  This blog is the first in a series focusing on my favourite piano composers. I will be presenting some recordings of Chopin’s best loved pieces and I do hope that you enjoy this little encounter with one of the world’s greatest ever piano composers. Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin was born on 1st March 1810 in Warsaw…